Linfox courier Ben Porter (left) and Safeway Homeshop manager Kath Fidler deliver an online order for eager Warrnambool customers Micah Hopwood, 4, Ella Hopwood, 2, and Jackie Hopwood.
ONLINE retail options in Warrnambool have expanded significantly, with Woolworths/Safeway the first of the major supermarkets to provide online grocery shopping.
A Woolworths spokeswoman said new and young families were among the targets for the new service.
She said supermarket shopping could be a stressful experience for parents of young children, who could provide distractions from the task. Other target users for the service were busy professionals who spent a lot of time at work.
Online shopping could be completed during breaks and was designed to be a convenient service.
“Another emerging group of users of online shopping is those who have to stick to a tight budget,” the Woolworths spokeswoman said.
“They can see how much they are spending as they go. They can see the rolling total on the computer screen.”
The spokeswoman said Woolworths was not concerned the online shopping service might erode in-store sales from its supermarkets.
“We are about what customers want,” she said.
Coles supermarkets said it had no plans at this stage to introduce the Coles online service into Warrnambool.
The Woolworths spokeswoman said residents could shop for their groceries at the Woolworths website and have orders delivered to their door.
Alternatively, they could also order through a click and collect option and pick up their order.
The Woolworths spokeswoman said the online shopping service was only available at its Raglan Parade Safeway store.
The delivery fee paid for home deliveries was based on the amount spent.